I Only Need the Duke's Child — Chapter 26

OH MY, WHAT IS THIS CUTE PAIR OF EARMUFFS?

YOU COULDN'T HAVE PREPARED THIS TINY THING AS A GIFT FOR ME, COULD YOU?

IT WAS LENT TO ME BY HER HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS.

I BROUGHT IT BECAUSE HIS MAJESTY WISHED FOR ME TO PASS IT ALONG.

BLAIR? WHEN?

...DID YOU NOT HEAR?

ABOUT WHAT? BLAIR DIDN'T SAY A THING, YOU SEE?

That is...

AT THE NEW YEAR'S BANQUET A WEEK AGO...

WHAT'S THIS?

SHE REALLY DIDN'T TELL A SINGLE PERSON?

I'LL KEEP TODAY A SECRET.

-THAT WAS HOW HER HIGHNESS FOLLOWED ME OUT AND HANDED ME THE EARMUFFS, TELLING ME TO COVER MY EARS.

THEN YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS AND RETURN IT.

PARDON...?

SOMEONE WHO HAS RECEIVED A FAVOR OUGHT TO GO AND EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE PROPERLY.

YOU'RE TRYING TO PASS THAT CHORE OFF TO ME?

NOW THAT YOU'RE GROWN UP, YOU'RE TRYING TO USE ME AS AN ERRAND BOY.

IT IS NOT LIKE THAT.

BY THE WAY, DID YOU ACTUALLY WEAR THESE EARMUFFS?

You must have looked cute.

WILL YOU TRY WEARING THEM IN FRONT OF ME JUST ONCE?

I DID NOT WEAR THEM! I MERELY KEPT THEM WITH ME.

I HAVE NO DESIRE TO RUN INTO THE PRINCESS.

I'M TERRIFIED THAT NAIVE PRINCESS MIGHT THINK OF ME WITH AFFECTION.

HERDIN, DO YOU DISLIKE BLAIR?

BLAIR ISN'T NOISY LIKE THE CHILDREN YOU DISLIKE,

AND SHE DOESN'T BLINDLY HATE OR CURSE AT YOU, DOES SHE?

YOU SAID YOU EVEN RECEIVED HER HELP.

...BUT ISN'T SHE THAT WOMAN'S DAUGHTER?

YOU MUST NOT THINK THAT WAY.

THAT IS NOT BLAIR'S FAULT.

BLAIR IS A GOOD CHILD, REGARDLESS OF WHAT KIND OF PERSON HER MOTHER IS.

DON'T YOU THINK SO, TOO?

I AM AWARE OF THAT.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO THINK OF THE EMPRESS AND THE PRINCESS SEPARATELY.

HOWEVER...

THE PRINCESS IS A KIND PERSON.

SINCE I AM IN A POSITION WHERE I HAVE TO HATE THE PRINCESS,

I TRIED SO HARD TO DENY IT.

I AM SORRY FOR DRAGGING EVEN YOU TWO INTO THE ADULTS' PETTY RELATIONSHIPS.

I HAVE COME TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR THE FAVOR I RECEIVED FROM THE PRINCESS DURING THE NEW YEAR'S FESTIVAL.

YOUR HIGHNESS, YOU MUST WAKE UP NOW.

Oh, right...

NANNY SAID I SHOULDN'T YAWN IN A PLACE LIKE THIS...

YOUR...

N-NANNY...!

WHAT DO I DO?! THE DUKE OF DELMARQUE IS HERE!

I HAVEN'T EVEN WASHED MY FACE YET...

...IT'S A GOOD THING I CAME TO CHECK.

...HM? THIS ISN'T A PILLOW.

THIS WARM SENSATION...

WHY IS THE ROOM SO WARM?

THE FIREPLACE... HAS A FIRE LIT.

FIRE.

A DISASTER THAT BURNED AWAY MY HAPPIEST DAYS.

NO.

THE TERROR THAT THOSE FLAMES MIGHT SNATCH AWAY EVERYTHING ONCE AGAIN—

ARE YOU SCARED?

THE FIRE... IS TERRIFYING.

IT SHOULD DEFINITELY BE TERRIFYING, BUT...

THE SOUND OF HERDIN'S HEARTBEAT...

MY ANXIOUS PULSE GRADUALLY CALMS DOWN.

IF YOU HAVE CALMED DOWN, SLEEP SOME MORE.

I WILL INVOKE THE JOINT-SLEEPING CLAUSE WRITTEN IN THE CONTRACT TODAY.

Wait..

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

IF YOU WISH TO SHARE A BED, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU GAVE ME TIME TO WASH UP.

YOU MUST TAKE ME FOR SOME TRASH WHO SATISFIES HIS LUST WITH A PATIENT.

I DIDN'T THINK THAT.

BUT THIS IS PART OF THE CONTRACT, SO I NEED TO KEEP MY PROMISE...

STOP.

THAT DAMNED CONTRACT AGAIN.

WHAT I MEAN IS LITERALLY JUST SLEEPING TOGETHER.

YOU CAN'T SLEEP IF YOU'RE BY YOURSELF WITH THE FIREPLACE ON.

BUT...

THERE IS NO BENEFIT IN THIS FOR HERDIN AT ALL.

THIS IS PURELY FOR MY SAKE...

I WON'T DO ANYTHING, SO JUST GO TO SLEEP.

THE AIR IN THE ROOM WARMED BY THE FIREPLACE.

THE BLANKET DRAPED OVER ME IS COZY,

AND THE FAMILIAR WARMTH I FEEL WITHOUT EVEN TOUCHING...

BRINGS A SENSE OF STABILITY.

I STILL DESPISE YOU.

BUT TODAY WAS TRULY EXHAUSTING, SO—

WOULDN'T IT BE OKAY... JUST FOR TODAY?